Flexible fastener with unidirectional opening



O 17, 1957 s. AUSNIT ETAL 3,3 7,298

FLEXIBLE FASTENER WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL OPENING Filed m. 7, 1965 INVENTORS $75149 405A?- K4254 J 5 44L5 BY M ATTORNEYS v I Y L UnitedStates Patent Office 3,347,293 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 3,347,298 FLEXIBLEFASTENER WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL OPENING Steven Ausnit, New York, N.Y., andKarel J.

Rutherford, N.J., assignors to Minigrip, burg, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed Oct. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 493,779

r 9 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) Staller, Iuc., Orange- ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to a flexible container havinginterlocking rib and groove elements and in particular to a containerhaving interlocking elements disposed for providing a unidirectionalopening.

It has been found desirable to develop a flexible container havinginterlocking closure elements which open relatively easily from theoutside. By reducing the force required to open the container, thestrain on external flanges used to separate the closure elements iscorrespondingly reduced. This means that a thinner, less costly flexiblematerial may be employed to develop the opening flanges, which, in turn,means that flexible closure containers may be made available for anincreasing number of uses.

However, while ease of opening from the outside of a reclosablecontainer is structurally desirable, ease of opening from the inside ofthe container defeats its utility. The contents of such containers tendto spread the internal flanges adjacent the closure elements providing,in effect, an internal opening force. It is apparent, therefore, thatthe need for ease of opening externally, conflicts with the need toresist opening internally, and that it would be desirable to provide ameans for discriminating between external and internal forces.

. Means have been developed for discriminating between such forces andthis invention concerns one such means. Accordingly, it is a principalobject of this invention to develop a flexible container havinginterlocking rib and groove elements formed integrally at the innersurface of the container walls and which provide a different openingresistance for externally and internally applied opening forces.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a flexible reclosablecontainer having interlocking rib and groove elements formed integrallywith the container walls and having one of the elements misalignedrelative to the other element for increasing the resistance to openinginternally of the container and for correspondingly de- .tainer whereinthe groove element is attached to the container wall at a pointoutwardly of the centerline defined by the rib element.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible closurecontainer having an arrowhead shaped rib element formed integrally at acontainer wall and a cooperable groove element formed at an opposingwall wherein the rib element is substantially symmetrical about acenterline extending therethrough and wherein the container opensrelatively easily from the outside but resists opening from the insidethereof.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a flexible reclosablecontainer having interlocking rib and groove elements wherein the grooveelement is provided with hook members for engaging the rib element andwherein added flexible material is formed between an external flangeadjacent the groove element and one of the hook members engaging theexternal side of the rib element for allowing relatively easier openingof the container from the outside than from the inside.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a flexiblereclosable container having an arrowhead shaped rib element formedintegrally at a first container wall and a cooperable groove elementhaving hook members for engaging the rib element and which is formed ata second container wall and wherein the hook member disposed outwardlyof the container is substantially rigidly secured to the container walland wherein the hook member disposed inwardly of the container issubstantially independently movable relative to the container wall.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be understood in greater detail from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings wherein reference numerals areutilized in designating a preferred embodiment and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing a flexible reclosable containerhaving flexible closure elements formed integrally therewith and mountedon the container walls according to the features of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial view similar to that shown in FIGURE 1illustrating an alternate embodiment of the features of this inventionand in particular showing a different mounting of the interlockable riband groove elements deployed thereon, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to that shown in FIGURE 2illustrating a further embodiment of the flexible closure elements ofthis invention.

This invention is concerned generally with the manner of mountinginterlocking rib and groove elements on the flexible walls of areclosable container for the purpose of discriminating betweeninternally and externally applied opening forces. In particular, it hasbeen found that the. point of attachment ofthe interlocking elements tothe container walls aflects the force required to unlock the cooperablyengaged surfaces. Change in the point of attachment of the grooveelement, for instance, changes the point of application of the openingforce as applied through the interengageable surfaces. It is Wellunderstood that the point of application of a force to an interlockingrib and groove element structure is critical in determining Whether thestructure will be urged into a more firm engagement or will be properlystressed to produce disengagement. Interlocking rib and groove ele-'ments can sustain relatively high forces without opening when thoseforces are applied to all but a relatively specific direction. Takingadvantage of this fact, this invention has adjusted the point ofapplication of forces originating at the inner and outer container wallsto increase the resistance to opening, inwardly of the closure elementsand to decrease the resistance to opening, outwardly of those elements.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown generally a flexible reclosable container 10employing interlocking rib and groove elements according to thespecifications of this invention. The container 10 has first and secondwall portions 11 and 12 which extend between a closed end 13 and theflexible closure elements. The flexible closure elements as mounted atthe walls 11 and 12 comprise generally a rib element 14 and a grooveelement 15. The rib element 14 consists of a base 16 attached to thewall portion 11 at a point 17. The base 16 becomes an elongated shaft 18which in turn extends to an arrowhead shaped connector 19. The connector19 has outermost engaging surfaces 20 and 21, and inwardly facingengaging surfaces 22 and 23. The surfaces 20through 23 are thencooperable with interengaging surfaces provided by the groove element15.

The groove element 15 has a base 24 which is secured to the innersurface of the wall portion 12 as at the point 25. The base 25 isprovided with outwardly curved arm portions 26 and 27 which extend fromthe wall portion 12 to the vicinity of the opposing wall portion 11. Thearms 26 and 27 terminate in hook members 28 and 29 disposed intermediatethe arrowhead shaped connector 19 and the wall portion 11.

The principal locking function of the elements shown in FIGURE 1 isaccomplished between inwardly directed engaging surfaces 30 and 31 ofthe hook members 28 and 29 and the mating surfaces 22 and 23 of thearrowhead shaped connector 19. It may be noted that while the surfaces20 and 21 of the arrowhead shaped connector 19 do not perform a lockingfunction, they are utilized in conjunction with the inner surface 32 ofthe groove element 15 to provide a tight closure for the contents of theflexible container :10.

The flexible container 10 is provided with external flanges 33 and 34formed outwardly of the rib and groove elements 14 and 15 respectivelyas extensions of the wall portions 11 and 12.

It may be noted in FIGURE 1 that a centerline 35 is shown as extendingfrom the wall portion 11 through the arrowhead shaped connector 19 tothe wall portion 12. It may also be noted that the arrowhead shapedconnector 19 is substantially symmetrical about the centerline 35 andthat no variations have been developed in the connector 19 to producethe opening characteristics of this invention. However, while thearrowhead shaped connector 19 is formed similarly both inwardly andoutwardly of the centerline 35, the groove element 15 is misalignedrelative to that centerline. In particular, the base 24 of the grooveelement 15 is displaced outwardly of the centerline 35 so as to have apoint 36 spaced substtntially further from the line 35 than an opposingpoint 3 Considering FIGURE 1 in greater detail, it can be seen that thedisplacement of the base 24 of the groove element :15 relative to'thecenterline 35 directly affects the connection to the hook members 28 and29 which provide the principal locking function for the flexiblecontainer 10. In particular, the displacement of the base 24 tends toelongate the outwardly curved arm 27 and to shorten the outwardly curvedarm 26 of the groove element 15. This elongation tends to disassociatethe action of the inner flange 12 relative to the hook member 29. Also,the force applied to the groove element by an outward flexing of thewall 12 is initiated at the point 37 which is a point outwardly of theengaging surfaces 23 and 31. Forces applied at this point tend to resistopening and urge the engagement surfaces into a firmer contact. Incontrast, the outward flexing of the flange 34 applies a force to thegroove element 15 at a point 36 which has been reorientated to a moreoutwardly position relative to the engaging surfaces 22 and 30. It isapparent, therefore, that a smaller force applied to the point 36 willproduce disengagement of the hook member 28 than a force applied at thepoint 37 will produce disengagement of the hook member 29 as the forceapplied at the point 36 ends to peel the hook member 28 away from therib member by exerting a pull from the side.

A further embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGURE 2 and involvessimilarly shaped rib and groove elements formed integrally with wallportions 11 and 12. It may be noted that reference numerals have beencar- 4 ried from FIGURE 1 to FIGURE 2 and subsequent FIG- URE 3 toidentify similar features and configurations.

The distinguishing feature present tin FIGURE 2 involves the mounting ofthe groove element 15 at the inner surface of the wall portion 12. Inparticular, the centerline 35 is shown, as in FIGURE 1, to pass from thewall portion 11 through the center of the arrowhead shaped connector 19to the opposing wall portion 12. However, in FIGURE 2, the base 24 ofthe groove element 25 is displaced entirely outwardly of the centerline35.

In FIGURE 2, therefore, it can be seen that the outwardly curved arm 27has been further increased in length over that of the corresponding arm26 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Also, the point of attachment of the wallportion 12 to the outwardly curved arm 27 has been moved to a pointoutwardly of the centerline 35. When a flexing force is applied to thewall 12, as might be expected by pressure received from the contents ofthe flexible bag 10, that force is transmitted to the outwardly curvedarm 27 through the point 38 which is orientated for causing the hookmember 29 to further engage the inner surface 23 of the arrowhead shapedconnector 19. This is due to the fact that the force in question nolonger has a peeling action, since it is now directed in line with thecenter axis of the rib element, and therefore is causing the rib andgroove elements to pull against each other thereby to lock with eachother. Therefore, what may have been an opening force at the wallportion 12 has been transformed, via the new positioning of the base 24,into a locking force applied to the hook member 29.

In contrast, the external flange 34 is attached to the base 24 at apoint 39 which is substantially removed outwardly of the centerline 35.It is apparent from FIGURE 2 that the force applied to the outwardlycurved arm 26 via movement or flexing of the external flange 34 istransmitted to the hook member 28 in a direction for disengaging orpeeling away that member from the inner surface 22 of the arrowheadshaped connector 19. The orientation shown in FIGURE 2 then provides asubstantial differentiation between the effectiveness of a force appliedinwardly at the wall portion 12 and a similar force applied outwardly atthe external flange 34.

A further embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGURE 3 and, as inthe case of FIGURE 2, constitutes similarly orientated and shaped riband groove elements formed integrally with the walls 11 and 12 of theflexible container 10. In FIGURE 3, the mounting of the base 24 of thegroove element 15 at the inner surface of the wall 12 is substantiallysymmetrical relative to the centerline 35. Therefore, the novel featuresof this structure do not affect the force applied to the wall 12.However, the relative effectivness of a force applied to the externalflange 34 as compared to the external flange 12 is altered via theaddition of a wedge 40 of flexible material applied between the innersurface of the external flange 34 and the lower surface 41 of theoutwardly extending arm 26. The wedge 40 may be formed integrally withthe groove element 15 and the external flange 34 and provides a directconnection from that flange to the upper portions of the outwardlyextending arm 26, namely to the hook member 28. It is apparent,therefore, that a force applied to the flange 34 will be correctlyorientated for disengaging or peeling the hook member 28 relative to theinner surface 22 of the arrowhead shaped connector 19. In this way, theforce for opening the rib and groove elements due to a spreading of theflanges 33 and 34 is comparatively reduced relative to the force foropening due to a similar spreading of the inner walls 11 and 12.

It will be apparent that various modifications and combinations may besuggested by the embodiments disclosed herein but I desire to claim allsuch modifications as properly come within the scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

' a plastic film bag having first and second opposing wall portions,

interlocking rib and groove elements formed integrally at the innersurface of said bag about the opening thereof,

said bag having external flanges extending outwardly of said elementswhich may be gripped and drawn apart to separate said elements,

said bag being reclosable by pressing said elements together,

a rib element formed at said first wall portion and a groove elementformed at said second wall portion,

a first of said elements defining a cross-sectional centerline extendingtherethrough from said first wall portion to said second wall portion,

a second of said elements interlockable with said first element andattached to said second wall portion at a base, said base having a pointof attachment to said second wall which is inwardly of the outermostpoint of engagement between said rib elements and having a centerdisplaced outwardly of said centerline of said first element wherebysaid bag opens relatively easily from the outside and resists openingfrom the inside.

2. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a plastic film bag having interlocking rib and groove elements formedintegrally at the opening thereof,

' saidbag being opened by drawing said elements apart and being closedby pressing said elements together,

a groove element formed at one wall of said bag and a cooperable ribelement formed at an opposing wall thereof,

said groove element having a misaligned attachment to said integral bagrelative to said cooperable rib element, said misaligned attachmentbeing such that the innermost point of attachment is disposed inwardlyof the outermost point of engagement between said rib elements,

whereby said bag opens relatively easily from the outside and resistsopening from the inside.

3. A reclosable flexible'container comprising:

a plastic film bag having interlocking rib and groove elements formedintegrally at the opening thereof,

said hag being opened by drawing said elements apart and being closed bypressing said elements together,

a groove element formed at one wall of said bag and a cooperable ribelement formed at an opposing wall thereof,

said groove element having a base attached to said integral ba-gcompletely outwardly of the centerline of said cooperable rib element,the innermost point of attachment of said base being disposed inwardlyof the outermost point of engagement between said rib elements,

whereby said bag opens more easily from the outside than from the insidethereof.

4. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a bag body, having plastic film walls and integral interlocking rib andgroove elements formed at the inner surface of said walls,

said bag having external flanges extending outwardly of said elementswhich may be gripped and drawn apart to separate said elements,

said bag being reclosable by pressing said elements together,

said rib element being arrowhead shaped and having locking surfacesfacing the outside of said s,

said groove element having hook members engaging said locking surfacesand closing said bag thereby,

said groove element attached to said bag outwardly of the correspondingattachment of said rib ele- 6, ment, and the innermost point ofattachment of said groove element to said bag being disposed inwardly ofthe outermost point of engagement between said rib elements.

5. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a bag body having plastic film walls and integral interlocking rib andgroove elements formed at the inner surface of said walls,

said bag having external flanges extending outwardly of said elementswhich may be gripped and drawn apart to separate said elements,

said bag being reclosable by pressing said elements together,

said rib element being arrowhead shaped and having locking surfacesfacing the outside of said said rib element having a cross sectionthereof defining a centerline extending therethrough from one wall to anopposing wall of said bag,

said groove element having hook members engaging said locking surfacesand closing said bag thereby,

said groove element formed at a wall opposite said rib element andhaving a base thereof attached to said bag entirely outwardly of saidcenterline.

6. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a bag body having plastic film Walls and integral interlocking rib andgroove elements formed at the inner surface of said walls,

said bag having external flanges extending outwardly of said elementswhich may be gripped and drawn apart to separate said elements, said bagbeing reclosable by pressing said elements together, said rib elementbeing arrowhead shaped and having locking surfaces facing the outside ofsaid said groove element having hook members engaging said lockingsurfaces and closing said bag thereby, said groove element attached tosaid bag oppositely of said rib element,

a wedge of flexible material formed integrally at a wall of said bagadjacent the attachment of said grooved element and outwardly of saidrib element,

said wedge extending to the outer of said hook members,

whereby a given force applied to said external flanges exerts a greaterresulting force on the outer of said hook members than a similar forceapplied at the internal walls of said bag exerts on the inner of saidhook members.

7. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a plastic film bag having interlocking rib and groove elements formedintegrally at the opening thereof,

said bag being opened by drawing said elements apart and being closed bypressing said elements together,

a groove element formed at one wall of said bag and a cooperable ribelement formed at an opposing wall thereof,

said groove element having a misaligned attachment to said integral bagrelative to said c0- operable rib element,

said groove element having hook arms for engaging said cooperable ribelement,

a wedge of flexible material formed integrally at a wall of said bagadjacent the attachment of said grooved element and outwardly of saidrib element,

said wedge extending to the outer of said hook members,

whereby a given force applied to said external flanges exerts a greaterresulting force on the outer of said hook members than a similar forceapplied at the in- 7 ternal walls of said bag exerts'on the inner ofsaid hook members.

8. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a plastic film bag having interlocking rib and groove elements formedintegrally at the opening thereof,

said bag being opened by drawing said elements apart and being closed bypressing said elements together,

a groove element formed at one wall of said bag and a cooperable ribelement formed at an opposing wall thereof,

said groove element having a base attached to said integral bagcompletely outwardly of the centerline of said cooperable ribelement,

said groove element having hook arms for engaging said cooperable ribelement,

a wedge of flexible material formed integrally at a wall of said bagadjacent the attachment of said grooved element and outwardly of saidrib element,

said wedge extending to the outer of said hook members,

whereby a given force applied to said external flanges exerts a greaterresulting force on the outer of said hook members than a similar forceapplied at the internal walls of said bag exerts on the inner of saidhook members.

9. A reclosable flexible container comprising:

a bag body having plastic film walls and integral interlocking rib andgroove elements formed at the inner surface of said walls,

said bag having external flanges extending outwardly of said elementswhich may be gripped and drawn apart to separate said elements,

said bag being reclosable by pressing said elements together,

said rib element being arrowheadshaped and having locking surfacesfacing the outside of said said arrowhead shaped rib element beingsubstantially symmetrical about a centerline extending therethrough fromone wall of said plastic film bag to an opposing Wall thereof,

said groove element having hook members engaging said locking surfacesand closing said bag thereby, 7

said groove element attached to said bag oppositely of said rib element,

a wedge of flexible material formed integrally at a wall of said bagadjacent the attachment of said grooved element and outwardly of saidrib element,

said wedge extending. to the outer of said hook members,

whereby a given force applied to said external flanges exerts a greaterresulting force on the outer of said hook members than a similar forceapplied at the internal walls of said bag exerts on the inner of saidhook members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,978,769 4/1961 Harrah 150-3FOREIGN PATENTS 376,525 5/ 1964 Switzerland.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T, GARRETT, Examiner.

1. A RECLOSABLE FLEXIBLE CONTAINER COMPRISING: A PLASTIC FILM BAG HAVINGFIRST AND SECOND OPPOSING WALL PORTIONS, INTERLOCKING RIB AND GROOVEELEMENTS FORMED INTEGRALLY AT THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BAG ABOUT THEOPENING THEREOF, SAID BAG HAVING EXTERNAL FLANGES EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OFSAID ELEMENTS WHICH MAY BE GRIPPED AND DRAWN APART TO SEPARATE SAIDELEMENTS, SAID BAG BEING RECLOSABLE BY PRESSING SAID ELEMENTS TOGETHERE,A RIB ELEMENT FORMED AT SAID FIRST WALL PORTION AND A GROOVE ELEMENTFORMED AT SAID SECOND WALL PORTION, A FIRST OF SAID ELEMENTS DEFINING ACROSS-SECTIONAL CENTERLINE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM SAID FIRST WALLPORTION TO SAID SECOND WALL PORTION, A SECOND OF SAID ELEMENTSINTERLOCKABALE WITH SAID FIRST ELEMENT AND ATTACHED TO SAID SECOND WALLPORTION AT A BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A POINT OF ATTACHEMENT TO SAIDSECOND WALL WHICH IS INWARDLY OF THE OUTERMOST POINT OF ENGAGEMENTBETWEEN SAID RIB ELEMENTS AND HAVING A CENTER DISPLACED OUTWARDLY OFSAID CENTERLINE OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT WHEREBY SAID BAG OPENS RELATIVELYEASILY FROM THE OUTSIDE AND RESISTS OPENING FROM THE INSIDE.